Xi Jinping is visiting Moscow to attend Russia's Victory Day parade, amid ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks on the capital. His trip highlights strong China-Russia ties, with Xi expected to sign key agreements, including on energy. Despite China’s stance of neutrality, Ukraine accuses it of supporting Russia's invasion. The visit is marked by heightened security and disruptions, with 29 world leaders attending the commemorations.

Xi Jinping is en route to Moscow for a four-day visit, during which he will attend Russia's military parade commemorating the end of World War II, known as Victory Day. His visit comes amid a series of mass Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital, with Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reporting that Russian air defense units successfully destroyed at least 19 Ukrainian drones overnight. These attacks led to the closure of most airports in Moscow, with Russia’s national carrier, Aeroflot, announcing that it would adjust flight schedules to manage the disruption.

The Ukrainian drone strikes, aimed at disrupting the Kremlin's preparations for Victory Day, also led to a diversion of a Serbian president’s plane to Baku, Azerbaijan. Aleksandar Vučić’s visit to Moscow had already been complicated, as Latvia and Lithuania reportedly closed their airspace to his aircraft, forcing a major detour. In total, Russia's defense ministry reported shooting down more than 500 drones in the last 24 hours, and airport closures disrupted the travel plans of at least 60,000 passengers.

Xi’s visit to Moscow comes at a time of heightened tension between China and the United States, as the two nations are embroiled in a trade war. It also follows accusations from Ukraine that China has been directly aiding Russia in its invasion. This marks Xi's 11th trip to Russia, making it his most frequent international destination since becoming president. The Russian foreign ministry has emphasized the significance of the visit, calling it one of the key events in Russia-China relations this year. Xi is expected to sign numerous cooperation agreements to further deepen the "no limits" relationship between the two countries. Among the topics of discussion will be the planned Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which could transport up to 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia to China.

Xi is slated to meet with Vladimir Putin on Thursday and attend the Victory Day parade on Friday. For the first time since 2015, China’s People’s Liberation Army will send an honor guard to participate in the Moscow ceremony. Furthermore, China will send an honor guard to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, for parallel celebrations, marking another historical first.

In an article published Wednesday, Xi highlighted the importance of China and Russia’s partnership, stating that both countries are major global powers that contribute to global strategic stability and governance. He emphasized that their bond of friendship and trust must be protected from any external attempts to disrupt it.

Trade between China and Russia has surged to record levels since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, providing Russia with crucial economic support as Western nations have imposed sanctions. Bilateral trade reached $245 billion in 2024, representing a 66% increase compared to 2021.

While China maintains its position as a neutral party in the war, calling for a peaceful resolution, Ukraine has grown increasingly vocal in accusing China of directly supporting Russia’s military efforts. Recently, two Chinese mercenaries were captured in the Donetsk region, having fought for Russia. Although these individuals did not have a direct connection to the Chinese government, recruitment videos for Russian mercenaries can be found on China’s tightly controlled social media platforms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized China for turning a blind eye to its nationals fighting for Russia.

Zelenskyy has also condemned foreign leaders traveling to Moscow for the Victory Day celebrations, stating that Ukraine "cannot bear responsibility for what happens" to any heads of state attending the parade. Moscow has announced that 29 world leaders are expected to participate in the Victory Day commemorations, which will feature the largest foreign delegation at the Red Square parade since Putin’s full-scale invasion began more than three years ago.